Movie Review: ‘Finding Dory’

Plot: Dory, now living with Marlin and Nemo, suddenly begins remembering small details of her childhood. She sets out to find her parents and what happened to seperate them.

Review: It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years since Finding Nemo, it’s a movie that ingrained itself into public consciousness remarkably fast. Kids are still watching it, merchandise is still around and there’s still more clown fish in aquariums than before the movie came out. Because of this the sequel doesn’t feel like it took a long time to get to us.

We pick up a year after the first film and, rather than rehash the first story, we follow Dory on a journey of self-discovery that takes us to a Californian Marine Life Institute where we encounter new characters and environments. The new setting opens up plenty of comic possibilities and the new creatures are just as memorable as the original line-up.

Top of the list is Hank, a cranky octopus voiced by Ed O’Neil whose chameleon ability leads some of the best visual gags. As brittle as he is at the outset he does warm up to Dory and they share some great banter. Also on the slate is Kaitlin Olson as a near sighted whale shark and Ty Burrell as an awkward beluga whale, who have their own share of comedic moments.

As the story rolls on we experience an emotional rollercoaster. The movie is in turn uplifting and crushingly sad. There were children expressing sadness in the cinema – it hits you hard. At the end of the day everyone was happy, just Pixar’s perchance for tucking the heartstrings. If you still feel invested in these characters this follow up will deliver the goods.

As great as the film is, and as gorgeous as it looks, there is one tiny issue. During the climactic chase sequence things start to drag out. One obstacle piles up on another and it feels like a bit of a stretch. It’s a minor issue in an otherwise stellar family film.